MAINLAND domestic helpers could be able to work in Hong Kong in the future.
Mainland domestic helpers could help solve a shortage of maids in Hong Kong and similar food habits and lifestyles could make them better helpers than overseas maids, said Lau Chun-fai, vice president of the General Chamber of Hong Kong Human Resources Agencies.
Lau was speaking at the launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong domestic service preparatory committee Wednesday. The committee aims to introduce mainland domestic helpers to work in Hong Kong. More than 56 domestic service companies from Shenzhen and Hong Kong attended the ceremony.
Hong Kong families often hire overseas maids, particularly from the Philippines, and the number of foreign maids had reached 285,000 as of October. With the number of seniors and babies in Hong Kong increasing, the number of maids was expected to reach 550,000 in five years, Lau said.
The minimum monthly wage for a domestic helper in Hong Kong was HK$3,580 (US$538) and it could increase by 10 to 15 percent in three to five years.
I hope more mainland domestic helpers can come to Hong Kong. Personally speaking, I prefer Chinese maids because we have similar cultural backgrounds, said Liu Tsui-lan, representative of the Hong Kong Technic Employment Center Ltd.
(Wang Yuanyuan)
